- Resilience theory allows educators to understand how their students overcome adversity and how that knowledge can be used "to enhance strengths and build the positive aspects of their lives." [1]
- Focuses on strengths rather than deficits
- Understanding healthy development in spite of risk exposure
- Assets and resources that "enable some adolescents to overcome the negative effects of risk exposure." [2]
- Belief that despite hardships that an individual experiences, that individual has the ability to "bounce back" given three key factors:
- Having someone in their life that
- Cares about them, respects them, listens to them non-judgmentally, and has a genuine interest in them;
- Has high expectations and motivates them to challenge themselves; and
- Provides an opportunity for them to be productive and useful[3]
- Having someone in their life that
- ^ Fergus, S., & Zimmerman, M. (2005). Adolescent resilience: A framework for understanding healthy development in the face of risk. Annual Review of Public Health, (26), 399-419. Retrieved from http://www.csun.edu/~whw2380/438 Spring 2010/documents/AdolescentResilienceAframeworkforunderstandinghealthydevelopment.pdf
- ^ Fergus, S., & Zimmerman, M. (2005). Adolescent resilience: A framework for understanding healthy development in the face of risk. Annual Review of Public Health, (26), 399-419. Retrieved from http://www.csun.edu/~whw2380/438 Spring 2010/documents/AdolescentResilienceAframeworkforunderstandinghealthydevelopment.pdf
- ^ Resilience theory. (2010). Retrieved from http://cleoeulaucenter.org/about/resilience-theory/